Arrangement for continuously handling moving tensioned webs of foil with flanged edges



March 15, 1966 H. ZYGAN ETAL 3,240,412

ARRANGEMENT FOR GON'I'INUOUSLY HANDLING MOVING TENSIONED WEBS OF FOIL WITH FLANGED EDGES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 28, 1964 FIG. 7

INVENTORSI H/ERONYMUS Z YGAN OTTO KOCH March 15, 1966 H. ZYGAN ETAL 3,240,412 ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTINUOUSLY HANDLING MOVING TENSIONED WEBS OF- FOIL WITH FLANGED EDGES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 28, 1964 INVENTORS. H/EPONYMUS Z YGAN, OTTO KOCH.

March 15, 1966 H. ZYGAN ETAL 3,240,412

ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTINUOUSLY HANDLING MOVING TENSIONED WEBS 0F FOIL WITH FLANGED EDGES Filed Jan. 28, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TORS I H/ERONYMUS ZYGAN, OTTO KOCH.

United States Patent Office 3,246,4l2 Patented Mar. 15, 1966 man corporation Filed Jan. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 340,633 Claims priority, application Germany, Jan. 30, 1963,

Claims. in. zze-ss It is known that webs of foil both edges of which are flanged can be stretched or shrunk continuously by holding the flanges in pairs of idler pulleys set obliquely or by guiding the flanges in fixed ducts or channel forming a slot which is wide enough for the passage of the foil but is narrow enough to prevent the flanges slipping through. The great disadvantage of these arrangements is that the frictional resistance of the pulleys or of the foil in the ducts (which are also provided, in known manner with plastic inserts to reduce the friction) accumulates over the entire length of the web and has to be overcome by tension at the withdrawal end of the foil. It is only when the transverse stresses in the foil are small and the total length of the arrangement is short that these tensile forces can be withstood by the foil itself without tearing at the withdrawal end where these forces are at a maximum.

An additional disadvantage of these arrangements is that it is diflicult to reintroduce a torn foil, since no conveyor means are provided to advance the new leading end of the following foil web. Since the time for treatment of the foil is proportional to the length of the treatment zone when the working speed is constant, it is desirable to construct arrangements as long as possible. Since in the arrangements referred to above, the increase in the Withdrawal force is proportional to more than the first power of the length, there is a limit to the length of the treatment zone if the transverse forces are at all large. This limit is determined by the strength of the foil. Matters are particularly difficult when the foil, is of low strength, which in fact, often occurs, for example, during a thermal or chemical treatment.

It has now been found that, independently of the strength properties of the foil, it is possible to construct treatment zones of practically any desired length if the frictional forces, set up as a consequence of relative movement between the pulleys or the duct and the foil, and thus the harmful loading of the foil, can be avoided by using concurrently travelling ducts or channels to accommodate the flanges. The frictional forces between the constructional elements forming the ducts and the fixed part of the arrangement are in this case taken up by fitting preferably endless chain or rope drives. For example, if the chain drive meshes with driven gear-wheels, at several positions along the treatment zone relatively small chain strengths can be used. Since the concurrentlymoving guide ducts or slotted holding devices accommodating the flanges can be adjustable so as to diverge from or converge towards the travelling foil web in many known ways, this arrangement, moved by its own drive means towards the foil web, can also be used to stretch or to shrink foils provided with flanged edges.

One embodiment of the invention is shown diagrammatically and by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the complete arrangement. The guide channels for the flanged edges of the web, which travel independently with the foil web, are in this instance arranged on supports which are shown in a diverging position.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation, seen from the foil side of the arrangement, of two link chain drives having separate members which mutually engage and which together form travelling flange-guiding channels which loosely embrace the flanges of the foil.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section through the two chain drives arranged on a support, with those members which engage with one another and form the revolving guide channel.

As will be seen from the figures, each of the guide channels embracing the two flanges of the foil web is formed of a plurality of members separately fitting one above the other and arranged on two chain systems disposed in parallel one above the other. The channel profile is continuously formed by the outwardly disposed surfaces of the members, which are located in pairs with their profiled surfaces facing one another, as the chain drives bring them into engagement. They are again separated from one another at the end of the chain drives and return again to the start of the endless chain drive.

In detail, the foil to be handled is indicated at 1 and this foil is provided with flanges 2. The outside of the traction chain drives 3 and 4 carries bead gripping members 5 and 6 which, are respectively operatively connected thereto, such that when corresponding pairs of head gripping members 5 and 6 are in mating engagement with one another their head gripping surfaces cooperate with each other to define a longitudinally slotted channel. Arranged on each side of the foil web are two cooperating chain drives 3, 4 (see FIG. 1). The chain drives 3 and 4 carrying the members 5 and 6 that form the guide channel run over driven gearwheels '7 and are held under suitable tension by known means which are not shown. The channel members 5 and 6 are built in with the actual chain links 8 to form a unit according to FIG. 3. The links influence the cooperation of the members to form the channel. In order to form a suitable channel of the correct size to accommodate a flange, it is absolutely necessary that the channel members 5 and 6 be pressed one against the other with a force which is suflicient to prevent the channel breaking open through the effects of the forces of the separately drawn foil 2. For this purpose, the rollers 9 of the chain links 8 run on rails 10 over the entire region in which the channel is formed, the rails 10 transmitting the necessary pressure to the channel members 5 and 6 through the pins 11 by means of springs 12 and the screw 13. Each channel member 5 of one chain drive 3 has a protuberance fitting into a corresponding recess of the channel member 6 of the other chain drive 4 with which it engages. This results in the forces transmitted by the rails 10 to the members 5 and 6 operating on both sides of the protuberance or recess, in the top and bottom parts of the channel formed in the members 5 and 6 being positioned exactly one above the other and in maintenance the channel provided for the flanged edge of the foil and the gap for the foil itself between the end surfaces of the two members which are brought into engagement with one another. The transverse force of the stretched foil, which is directed towards the centre of the web and towards the members 5 and 6 which are clamped together, is taken up by ball bearings 14. The housing 15 can consist of two parts, which are fixed by means of screws 17 to a common base plate 16, which forms one of the laterally pivotable supports arranged on both sides of the web. The base plates 16 can be swung so as to be parallel, diverging or converging, seen in the direction of movement of the foil web and the chain drives. With very long chains, the rail 10 can be interrupted at intervals for the insertion of an externally driven gearwheel to relieve the chain of an excessive longitudinal tension accumulating through friction.

Suitable guide rails (not shown) can be provided at the inlet end so as better to introduce the flange into the channel being formed.

As can be appreciated by the artisan from the foregoing description of a preferred embodiment, the invention provides an arrangement for longitudinally moving a foil web 1 having flanged beaded lateral edges 2 by means of two pairs of endless traction drive chains, i.e. the two paired sets of chain link drives 3 and 4, which carry bead gripping members 5 and 6 such that, when passing longitudinally in mating engagement corresponding pairs of bead gripping members 5 and 6, with the bead gripping members 5 being carried by a drive chain 3 and the bead gripping members 6 being carried by a drive chain 4, pass longitudinally in mating engagement to grip successive longitudinal portions of each beaded edge 2 of the foil 1.

The foil 1 can be simultaneously subjected to lateral tension exerted across its beaded edges 2, with this tension being gradually varying or constant in the direction of longitudinal foil 1 movement, depending upon the relative orientation of the movement paths of its beaded edges 2. For example, by inclining the support members, which can be regarded as the combination of the base plates 16 and housings 15, at an acute angle in relation to each other, the paths of the beaded edges 2 can be made to diverge to impart a lateral stretching tension to the foil 1, or to converge, and thereby permit the foil 1 to be shrunk to a reduced width. In the case of such lateral shrinkage, it is of course necessary that the foil 1 be adapted to shrink by prior treatment, such as for example, where the foil 1 is fed to the apparatus under an initial elastically stretched condition, so that it will shrink laterally of its own accord as its beaded edges 2 converge. Otherwise, as will be obvious to the artisan, merely causing the foil 1 beaded edges 2 to move along convergent paths will only result in a foil 1 which hangs loosely between its beaded edges 2.

We claim:

L'Arrangement for longitudinally moving a foil web having flanged beaded lateral edges, which comprises a pair of elongated support members disposed in laterally spaced-apart relation to each other and oriented along predetermined lengthwise directions to define correspondingly respective longitudinal movement paths of the foil bead edges, a first pair of oppositely disposed endless traction drive means disposed in operative engagement with one of said support members for movement relative thereto along endless paths corresponding to the longitudinal movement path of one of said foil bead edges, a second pair of oppositely disposed endless traction drive means disposed in operative engagement with the other of said support members for movement relative thereto along endless paths corresponding to the longitudinal movement path of the other of said foil bead edges, and a plurality of head gripping members operatively connected to said traction drive means, said bead gripping members being connected in correspondingly equal numbers to each traction drive means in each pair thereof, with the bead gripping members connected to each traction drive means being disposed for mating engagement with the bead gripping members connected to the oppositely disposed traction drive means in the same pair thereof, said head gripping members having bead gripping surfaces disposed for operative engagement with oppositely disposed bead flange portions when corresponding bead gripping members on each pair of traction drive means are in mating engagement whereby said foil web can be moved longitudinally by said first and second pairs of traction drive means with successive longitudinal portions of each lateral beaded edge of said foil web being gripped between pairs of bead gripping members carried in mating engagement by said pairs of traction drive means to simultaneously subject said foil web to lateral tension corresponding to the spacing between the longitudinal movement paths of its beaded lateral edges.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said support members are disposed in lateral spaced-apart relation to each other to define longitudinal movement paths of the foil beaded edges which are inclined at an acute angle in relation to each other.

3. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said head gripping members have bead gripping surfaces disposed to define a longitudinally slotted channel when corresponding pairs of bead gripping members connected to opposite traction drive means in the same path thereof are in mating engagement, said slotted channel being disposed for normally operative engagement with the inwardly disposed portion of a corresponding beaded foil edge.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said endless traction drive means are chain link belts and including a pair of guide rail members operatively connected to each support member, each of said guide rails being disposed in operative engagement with a corresponding chain link belt to urge the bead gripping members connected thereto into a selected position of mating engagement with corresponding bead gripping members connected to the oppositely disposed chain link belt in each pair thereof.

5. The arrangement according to claim 4 including preloaded spring means disposed for operative engagement with one of said guide rails in each pair thereof to forcibly urge said bead gripping members into mating engagement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,642,280 6/1953 Fisk 226172 2,915,171 12/1959 Peck 226172 2,981,452 4/1961 Baker 226-172 3,014,234 12/1961 Koppehele. 3,055,048 9/ 1962 Koppehele.

M. HENSON WOOD, 111., Primary Examiner.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Examiner. 

1. ARRANGEMENT FOR LONGITUDINALLY MOVING A FOIL WEB HAVING FLANGED BEADED LATERAL EDGES, WHICH COMPRISES A PAIR OF ELONGATED SUPPORT MEMBERS DISPOSED IN LATERALLY SPACED-APART RELATION TO EACH OTHER AND ORIENTED ALONG PREDETERMINED LENGTHWISE DIRECTIONS TO DEFINE CORRESPONDINGLY RESPECTIVE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT PATHS OF THE FOIL BEAD EDGES, A FIRST PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED ENDLESS TRACTION DRIVE MEANS DISPOSED IN OPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO ALONG ENDLESS PATHS CORRESPONDING TO THE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT PATH OF ONE OF SAID FOIL BEAD EDGES, A SECOND PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED ENDLESS TRACTION DRIVE MEANS DISPOSED IN OPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OTHER OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO ALONG ENDLESS PATHS CORRESPONDING TO THE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT PATH OF THE OTHER OF SAID FOIL BEAD EDGES, AND A PLURALITY OF BEAD GRIPPING MEMBERS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID TRACTION DRIVE MEANS, SAID BEAD GRIPPING MEMBERS BEING CONNECTED IN CORRESPONDINGLY EQUAL NUMBERS TO EACH TRACTION DRIVE MEANS IN EACH PAIR THEREOF, WITH THE BEAD GRIPPING MEMBERS CONNECTED TO EACH TRACTION DRIVE MEANS BEING DISPOSED FOR MATING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BEAD GRIPPING MEMBERS CONNECTED TO THE OPPOSITELY DISPOSED TRACTION DRIVE MEANS IN THE SAME PAIR THEREOF, SAID BEAD GRIPPING MEMBERS HAVING BEAD GRIPPING SURFACES DISPOSED FOR OPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH OPPOSITELY DISPOSED BEAD FLANGE PORTIONS WHEN CORRESPONDING BEAD GRIPPING MEMBERS ON EACH PAIR OF TRACTION DRIVE MEANS ARE IN MATING ENGAGEMENT WHEREBY SAID FOIL WEB CAN BE MOVED LONGITUDINALLY BY SAID FIRST AND SECOND PAIRS OF TRACTION DRIVE MEANS WITH SUCCESSIVE LONGITUDINAL PORTIONS OF EACH LATERAL BEADED EDGE OF SAID FOIL WEB BEING GRIPPED BETWEEN PAIRS OF BEAD GRIPPING MEMBERS CARRIED IN MATING ENGAGEMENT BY SAID PAIRS OF TRACTION DRIVE MEANS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY SUBJECT SAID FOIL WEB TO LATERAL TENSION CORRESPONDING TO THE SPACING BETWEEN THE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT PATHS OF ITS BEADED LATERAL EDGES. 